Long-haul fiber transmission is becoming increasingly common in the tele-
phone network. Long-haul routes average about 1500 km in length and offer high
capacity (typically 20,000 to 60,000 voice channels).These systems compete econom-
ically with microwave and have so underpriced coaxial cable in many developed
countries that coaxial cable is rapidly being phased out of the telephone network in
such countries.Undersea optical fiber cables have also enjoyed increasing use.
Metropolitan trunking circuits have an average length of 12 km and may have as
many as 100,000 voice channels in a trunk group.Most facilities are installed in under-
ground conduits and are repeaterless, joining telephone exchanges in a metropolitan or
city area. Included in this category are routes that link long-haul microwave facilities
that terminate at a city perimeter to the main telephone exchange building downtown.
Rural exchange trunks have circuit lengths ranging from 40 to 160 km and link
towns and villages. In the United States, they often connect the exchanges of differ-
ent telephone companies. Most of these systems have fewer than 5000 voice chan-
nels. The technology used in these applications competes with microwave facilities.